Climate change also poses a threat to cultural heritage

Spruce trees used to make Stradivarius violins are now under threat from rising temperatures and the spread of attacks from common pests. Josep Molina Secall/Unsplash, CC BY

When we talk about climate change, the debate usually centres on energy, biodiversity, carbon emissions or the economic costs of the transition. But another aspect of the problem remains largely underestimated: the impact of climate change on our cultural heritage.

43% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe are currently highly exposed to extreme weather events, flooding and rising sea levels. Our research arrives at this estimate by applying the climate risk quantification methodologies developed at the EDHEC Climate Institute to relevant physical assets sourced from the UNESCO spatial database.